No. 8 Penn State Football faces a daunting task in Saturday’s season opener against West Virginia.
Not only will head coach James Franklin‘s program be walking into a buzzsaw in Morgantown in front of a rabid fanbase with upset on their minds, but a Mountaineers program that returns plenty of talent on both sides of the ball off a strong finish to the 2023 campaign.
The Nittany Lions have legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations and Big Ten championship hopes, but can Penn State escape with a Week 1 victory in order to capitalize on what is an otherwise favorable schedule?
Here’s how we see Saturday’s game playing out.
Penn State Football vs. West Virginia Picks, Predictions
Robert Casturo, Senior Content Editor
WVU on the road is a tough way to introduce three new coordinators at Penn State this season.
However, with the veteran leadership returning on the defense and plenty of talent returning on offense aided by Andy Kotelnicki’s new scheme, Penn State should drive away on West Virginia’s country roads with a victory Saturday. The game will likely be tight through half or three quarters, but I have Penn State’s depth showing up at the end to push the Nittany Lions comfortably to 1-0.
Penn State 31 WVU 17
Joe Staszak, Senior Penn State Football Reporter
A lot of pundits and so-called experts have sounded an upset alert for their game with West Virginia this Saturday.
The Mountaineers went on a late-season tear to finish with nine wins last year and they boast one of the top ground games in the country. But, despite Penn State losing a third of their starters to the NFL, the Nittany Lions know that this is the year that they all had circled on their calendar as their break-through season. Quarterback Drew Allar and his Nits win a white knuckler late this weekend, and leave Morgantown 1-0.
Penn State 31, WVU 26
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Daniel Fisher, Penn State Football Reporter
Penn State vs West Virginia is going to be a crazy game, and it’s hard to go into Morgantown and get a win, but don’t count out the Nittany Lions.
Quarterback Drew Allar will make plays with his legs to pick up first downs and get the chains moving, and the two runningback-headed monster of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton will run over the Mountaineer’s defense and pick up the win.
Penn State 28, WVU 13
Brad Kulp, Penn State Football Reporter
West Virginia has the home-field advantage, bringing energy, toughness, and a legitimate dual-threat quarterback.
However, their defense enters 2024 not ranked in the top 60 nationally. They’ve made moves to bolster their secondary through the transfer portal, but it’s uncertain how quickly these changes will take effect. If the Mountaineers’ defense doesn’t come together fast, this game could slip away early.
Penn State Football boasts a top-10 defense, capable of controlling WVU’s offense while their own offense looks to score with big plays.
Expect the Nittany Lions to dominate from the start, with WVU likely scoring a late touchdown against Penn State’s reserves.
My score prediction is ramped down a bit because of possible rain showers, and although I expect WVU to fight hard, Penn State controls this for the duration.
Penn State 31, WVU 20
David Malandra, Penn State Reporter
The defense will be the story of the game, and Drew Allar will have 200 yards passing with two touchdowns as Penn State wins rather easily.
Penn State 28, WVU 10
Chris Snyder, Senior Penn State Wrestling Reporter
A lot has been made of the Mountaineers’ 2023 football season.
West Virginia finished strong by winning five of their last six games which included a 30-10 win over UNC in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
But let’s dive into the real meat and potatoes of WVU’s schedule.
Against teams with a combined record of 32-43 (Pitt, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Houston), the Mountaineers were a mediocre 4-2. Furthermore, they only outscored these teams by a total of six points (168-160).
Now, did Penn State have a perfect season last year? Nope. But they have better players at almost every single position on the field. Couple this with the addition of two new coordinators to add different looks/schemes and (read: “hopefully”) a much better Drew Allar, and I believe the Nittany Lions will prevail this Saturday.
Penn State 31 WVU 17
Evan Smith, Senior Penn State Basketball Reporter
MORE: Key Penn State Playmaker Returns to Practice Ahead of WVU Clash
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